The Story of Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him) with al-Khadr is a beautiful and profound narrative filled with deep lessons that resonate across generations. It teaches us one of the most essential principles of faith: we never fully know the wisdom behind Allah’s will. But we should trust that everything Allah does carries the best outcome for us.
Sometimes, life hits hard. We face moments that seem unfair or even heartbreaking. It might feel like we’ve lost everything we ever dreamed of. But that’s never the full picture. Allah is Most Kind and Most Wise. He sees what we cannot, and His plan is always perfect—even when it doesn’t make sense to us in the moment.
If we were given the choice between our deepest wishes and what Allah has written for us, and we truly knew both, we would choose what Allah has planned every time.
Now, you might be wondering:
- Who is Khidr?
- What happened in the famous story of Khidr and Musa?
- What lessons can we learn from it?
Who Is Khidr?
Khidr (also spelled Al-Khidr) was a righteous servant of Allah. He was granted mercy and special knowledge that came directly from Allah. His story appears in Surah Al-Kahf, where Allah says:
📖 Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 65
Arabic:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًۭا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًۭا
Translation:
“There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own.”
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:65)
Was al-Khidr a Prophet?
So, who is al-Khidr? Was he a prophet?
The answer is yes, according to the verses of the Holy Qur’an. Al-Khidr was a prophet, whom Allah bestowed special knowledge upon.
Shaykh al-Shanqiti (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the interpretation of the following verse:
“Then they found one of Our slaves, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.”
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:65)
He said:
“But it may be understood from some verses that the mercy mentioned here was the mercy of Prophethood, and that this knowledge which came from Allah was the knowledge of revelation.
It is known that mercy and the bestowal of knowledge from Allah are more general and come in more ways than via prophethood.
The fact that something general exists does not necessarily imply that something more specific exists, as is well known.
One of the strong indications that the mercy and knowledge with which Allah blessed His slave al-Khidr came by way of prophethood and revelation is the verse:
“And I did them not of my own accord.”
وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:82)
Meaning: “Rather, I did them by the command of Allah.”
And the command of Allah is only conveyed via revelation, because there is no other way for the commands and prohibitions of Allah to be known except through revelation.
Especially in the case of:
- Killing a seemingly innocent soul
- Damaging a ship by making a hole in it
These are acts of apparent aggression toward people’s lives and property, which can only be justified through divine revelation.
Allah has restricted the method of warning to revelation, as He says:
“Say (O Muhammad): I warn you only by the Revelation.”
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أُنذِرُكُم بِالْوَحْيِ
(Surah Al-Anbiya 21:45)
Note: The word innamā (إِنَّمَا) implies restriction — that this warning comes only through revelation.
Shaykh al-Shanqiti continued:
“From all of this, we know that al-Khidr’s killing the boy, making a hole in the ship, and his saying:
وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:82)clearly indicates that he was a Prophet.”
Al-Fakhr al-Razi, in his Tafsir, attributed the view that he was a prophet to many scholars.
Another strong sign that al-Khidr was a prophet is that Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) humbled himself before him and said:
“May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allah)?”
هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًا
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:66)
And he also said:
“If Allah wills, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.”
سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ ٱللَّهُ صَابِرًۭا وَلَآ أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًۭا
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:69)
Even though al-Khidr responded:
“And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?”
وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ خُبْرًۭا
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:68)
These dialogues and the events that followed all strengthen the conclusion that al-Khidr was not only divinely inspired but a Prophet who acted by Allah’s command.
Certainly! Here’s a polished and beautifully formatted version of The Story of Khidr and Musa (peace be upon him) with Qur’anic verses in both Arabic and English, continuing smoothly from your draft:
The Story of Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him) with al-Khadr
The Story of Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him) with al-Khadr begins with Musa seeking deeper knowledge and wisdom from someone whom Allah had blessed with special insight. Musa asked Allah about the most knowledgeable servant on earth, and Allah revealed to him that there was someone more knowledgeable in certain aspects — al-Khidr — and that Musa should seek him out.
Allah instructed Musa that he would find this righteous man at the junction of the two seas, and that a fish would be the sign: when the fish disappeared, that is where he would meet him.
So, Musa (peace be upon him) set out on this journey with his young assistant, Yusha‘ ibn Nun, carrying a fish with them. Along the way, they stopped to rest by a rock. During this time, the fish miraculously made its way into the sea and disappeared.
Later, when they resumed their journey, Musa asked his assistant about the fish. Yusha remembered what happened and informed him that the fish had slipped into the sea when they had rested.
Allah recounts this story in Surah al-Kahf, beginning from verse 60:
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًۭا
“And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, ‘I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period.'”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:60)
فَلَمَّا بَلَغَا مَجْمَعَ بَيْنِهِمَا نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا فَٱتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُۥ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ سَرَبًۭا
“But when they reached the junction between them, they forgot their fish, and it took its course into the sea, slipping away.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:61)
فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَا قَالَ لِفَتَىٰهُ ءَاتِنَا غَدَآءَنَا لَقَدْ لَقِينَا مِن سَفَرِنَا هَـٰذَا نَصَبًۭا
“So when they had passed beyond it, [Moses] said to his boy, ‘Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, [much] fatigue.'”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:62)
قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَآ إِلَى ٱلصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّى نَسِيتُ ٱلْحُوتَ ۖ وَمَآ أَنسَىٰنِيهُ إِلَّا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُۥ ۚ وَٱتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُۥ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ عَجَبًۭا
“[The boy] said, ‘Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan – that I should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly.'”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:63)
قَالَ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنَّا نَبْغِ ۚ فَٱرْتَدَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَارِهِمَا قَصَصًۭا
“[Moses] said, ‘That is what we were seeking.’ So they returned, following their footprints.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:64)
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًۭا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًۭا
“And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:65)
This servant was al-Khidr, the man whom Allah had granted special mercy and knowledge. Musa asked to follow him so he could learn from him, setting the stage for the rest of their journey and the three profound lessons al-Khidr would teach him.
Sure! Here’s the story of Musa (AS) and Khidr (AS) specifically related to the ship, including the Arabic verses:
The Story of Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him) with al-Khadr – The Ship
In the meantime, a boat passed by them, and they requested the crew to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khadir (AS) and took them on board without fare. Then, a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat, dipping its beak once or twice into the sea. Al-Khadir (AS) said,
“O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah’s knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak.”
Al-Khadir (AS) then went to one of the planks of the boat and plucked it out. Moses (AS) was perplexed and said,
“These people gave us a free lift, but you have broken their boat and scuttled it so as to drown its people.”
Al-Khadir (AS) replied,
“Didn’t I tell you that you will not be able to remain patient with me?”
Moses (AS) said,
“Call me not to account for what I forgot.”
The first excuse of Moses (AS) was that he had forgotten.
After this, Musa (AS) and Khidr (AS) continued their journey until they came across a ship. They were allowed to board, but once again, something unusual happened—Khidr (AS) made a hole in the ship!
Musa (AS) was shocked and said,
“Did you damage the ship to drown its people? You’ve done something truly wrong!”
قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْـًٔا إِمْرًۭا
Khidr (AS) calmly replied,
“Didn’t I tell you that you wouldn’t be able to remain patient with me?”
قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًۭا
Musa (AS) quickly apologized,
“Please don’t blame me for forgetting, and don’t make this too hard on me.”
قَالَ لَا تُؤَاخِذْنِى بِمَا نَسِيتُ وَلَا تُرْهِقْنِى مِنْ أَمْرِى عُسْرًۭا
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:71–73]
The Story of Moosa (Peace Be Upon Him) with al-Khadr – The Boy
After the incident with the ship, Musa (AS) and Khidr (AS) continued their journey. They proceeded further and came across a group of boys playing. Among them was a boy, and Khidr (AS) approached him, took hold of his head from the top, and plucked it out with his hands, killing him.
Musa (AS) was astonished and asked,
“Have you killed an innocent soul, who has not killed anyone? You have certainly done something horrible!”
قَالَ أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًۭا زَكِيَّةًۢ بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍۢ لَّقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْـًۭٔا نُّكْرًۭا
Khidr (AS) responded,
“Did I not tell you that you would not be able to remain patient with me?”
قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًۭا
Musa (AS) then replied,
“If I ever question you about anything after this, do not keep me with you, for I would have given you enough of an excuse.”
قَالَ إِن سَأَلْتُكَ عَن شَىْءٍۭ بَعْدَهَا فَلَا تُصَـٰحِبْنِى ۖ قَدْ بَلَغْتَ مِن لَّدُنِّى عُذْرًۭا
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:74–76]
Certainly! Here’s the continuation of the story of Musa (AS) and Khidr (AS), focusing on the incident with the people of the town, along with the relevant Arabic verses:
The Story of Musa and Khidr – The People of the Town
After the incident with the boy, Musa (AS) and Khidr (AS) continued their journey and arrived at a town. They asked the people of the town for food, but the people refused to offer them any hospitality. As they were leaving, they found a wall that was on the verge of collapsing, and Khidr (AS) repaired it.
Musa (AS) was surprised and said,
“If you wanted, you could have demanded a fee for this.”
قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًۭا
Khidr (AS) responded,
“This is the parting of our ways. I will explain to you what you could not bear patiently.”
قَالَ هَـٰذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنِكَ ۚ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:77–78]
Explanation of the Actions
Khidr (AS) then proceeded to explain his actions:
- The Ship: Khidr (AS) explained that he made a hole in the ship because it belonged to poor people who earned their living by sailing. There was a tyrant king who seized every good ship, and by damaging it, he was preventing the king from taking the ship.
أَمَّا ٱلسَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتۡ لِمَسَٰكِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنۡ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَآءَهُم مَّلِكٞ يَأۡخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصۡبٗا
(Surah Al-Kahf, 18:79) - The Boy: The boy was killed because he was going to grow up to be a disbeliever, and his parents were righteous people. Had he lived, he would have caused them harm due to his disbelief, so Khidr (AS) was commanded to take his life to save them from this future harm.
فَأَرَدۡنَآ أَن يُبۡدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُ زَكَوٰةٗ وَأَقۡرَبَ رُحۡمٗا (Surah Al-Kahf, 18:80) - The Wall: As for the wall, it was built up because beneath it, there was a treasure belonging to two orphans. Their father was a righteous man, and Allah willed to protect their inheritance until they were old enough to claim it. Khidr (AS) repaired the wall to safeguard the treasure for them.
وَأَمَّا ٱلۡجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَٰمَيۡنِ يَتِيمَيۡنِ فِي ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحۡتَهُۥ كَنزٞ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَٰلِحٗا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبۡلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسۡتَخۡرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّن رَّبِّكَۚ وَمَا فَعَلۡتُهُۥ عَنۡ أَمۡرِيۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَأۡوِيلُ مَا لَمۡ تَسۡطِع عَّلَيۡهِ صَبۡرٗا
(Surah Al-Kahf, 18:81)
Khidr (AS) concluded by saying that he had acted according to Allah’s divine wisdom and knowledge, which Musa (AS) could not fully understand due to his limited patience.
1. The Ship
Khidr (AS) and Musa (AS) first encountered a ship belonging to poor people who worked at sea. Khidr (AS) damaged the ship, and when Musa (AS) questioned him, Khidr (AS) explained:
Arabic Explanation:
أَمَّا ٱلسَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَـٰكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَآءَهُم مَّلِكٌۭ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًۭا
“As for the ship, it belonged to some poor people, working at sea. So, I intended to damage it, for there was a tyrant king ahead of them who seizes every good ship by force.”
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:79]
Explanation:
Khidr (AS) intentionally damaged the ship because a tyrant king was seizing every good ship he could find, especially those used for trade. By damaging the ship, Khidr (AS) prevented the king from taking it, thereby protecting the poor people’s livelihood.
2. The Boy
The next incident involved a boy whom Khidr (AS) killed. When Musa (AS) questioned this, Khidr (AS) explained:
Arabic Explanation:
وَأَمَّا ٱلْغُلَـٰمُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَآ أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَـٰنًۭا وَكُفْرًۭا
“And as for the boy, his parents were true believers, and we feared that he would pressure them into defiance and disbelief.”
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:80]
Explanation:
The boy was going to grow up to be a disbeliever, and his actions would have led his parents into great distress, causing them to turn to disbelief. To spare the parents from this future harm, Allah commanded Khidr (AS) to take the boy’s life. In return, Allah promised to give them a more virtuous and caring child.
Arabic Explanation:
فَأَرَدتْنَآ أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُ زَكَوٰةًۭ وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًۭا
“So we hoped that their Lord would give them another, more virtuous and caring in his place.”
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:81]
3. The Wall
The final incident involved a wall in a town that Khidr (AS) repaired. When Musa (AS) questioned why Khidr (AS) didn’t ask for compensation, Khidr (AS) explained:
Arabic Explanation:
وَأَمَّا ٱلْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَـٰمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُۥ كَنزٌۭ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَـٰلِحًۭا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةًۭ مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُۥ عَنْ أَمْرِى ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًۭا
“And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and under the wall was a treasure that belonged to them, and their father had been a righteous man. So, your Lord willed that these children should come of age and retrieve their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do it ˹all˺ on my own. This is the explanation of what you could not bear patiently.”
— [Surah Al-Kahf, 18:82]
Explanation:
The wall belonged to two orphan boys, and under it was a treasure that they would inherit when they came of age. Their father had been a righteous man, and Allah wanted to ensure that the boys received their inheritance when they were old enough to handle it. Khidr (AS) repaired the wall as an act of mercy, protecting the treasure until the boys were ready to claim it.
These three actions of Khidr (AS) were all based on divine wisdom that Musa (AS) was not initially able to understand, but Khidr (AS) explained them in detail to him, showing that each act had a higher purpose, even though it seemed confusing or unjust at first glance.